'Either team won't give an inch'

Photo by : PBA ImagesRodney Brondial of Star takes a shot against JR Quiñahan, Josh Dollard and Maverick Ahanmisi of Rain or Shine during their game on Friday night. The Elasto Painters won against the already ousted Hotshots, whose coach Jason Webb ended his first season as a coach with a dismal 12-24 win-loss record.

THE PBA Governors’ Cup elimination round ends today in an interesting manner, with the current top three teams figuring in games where the results will ultimately determine their final positions before heading for the playoff round.

Front-running Talk ‘N Text battles Barangay Ginebra in the 6:45 p.m. main offering of an interesting double-header capping the elimination round of the season-ending conference at the Alonte Sports Complex in Biñan, Laguna.

There’s nothing at stake whatsoever for both the Tropang Texters and the Gin Kings, as well as in the 4:30 p.m. opening tussle between San Miguel Beer and cellar-dwelling Blackwater.

For one, both the Tropang Texters and the Gin Kings are already assured of twice-to-beat advantages in the quarterfinal round after maintaining their 1-2 positions.

However, facing each other would give the Tropang Texters and the Gin Kings a chance to gauge each other, reason why Ginebra coach Tim Cone said he is expecting a big duel.

“I don’t think either team is going to give an inch,” said Cone in a text message.

“It could turn out to be the best no-bearing game in history,” he added.

Here’s some of the possibilities relayed by PBA’s statistician Fidel Mangonon III.

A win by Talk ‘N Text will clinch for the MVP franchise the top seeding, with the Gin Kings getting relegated to third spot in the event the Beermen also win over the Elite.

The Texters sport a 9-1 win-loss slate, while the Gin Kings tote an 8-2 card which is half a game better than the third-running Beermen. The Gin Kings could become No. 2 even if they lose today, provided the Beermen also lose to the Elite which is very unlikely.

“One of the things we try to learn as a group is that we want to play the game the same way all the time,” said Cone, the league’s most successful coach.

“Whether it’s a bearing game or a practice game or a Game Seven, we want to play the game the same way. I think the really great teams go out there and develop that culture,” said Cone.

Meralco and Mahindra finished tied at 6-5, but the former took No. 4 and the latter 5th by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule, with Alaska securing the No. 6 by beating NLEX Friday.

NLEX fell into three-way tie at 5-6 with Phoenix and Rain or Shine, which defeated the Star Hotshots also Friday, but the Road Warriors advanced to the next round for having the most superior quotient, leaving the Fuel Masters and the Elasto Painters to battle it out for the eighth and last quarterfinal berth.